Fishing line reel with rapid line payout

Abstract

A reel for fishing line or the like provides for extremely rapid payout by releasing the line to unwind by sliding rapidly around a guide surrounding the line spool and by rotation of the line spool itself. A lever controls a line guide preventing sliding of the fishing line around the guide and providing controllable friction and locking of rotation of the line spool only when actuated by the user to permit retraction of the line or controlled tensioning of the line.

What we claim is: 
     
       1. A fishing line reel providing rapid line payout comprising:
 a housing supporting: 
 a crank mechanism operable by a user for rotating a crankshaft extending along a first axis and rotating a drive shaft extending along a second axis with respect to the housing substantially perpendicular to the first axis; 
 a line spool rotatable about the drive shaft; 
 a winder attached to rotate with the drive shaft for catching a fishing line so that the fishing line winds about the line spool with rotation of the drive shaft when the winder is engaged and for freeing the fishing line so that the fishing line does not wind about the line spool with the rotation of the drive shaft when the winder is disengaged; 
 an operator operable by the user to move the winder between the engaged and disengaged positions; 
 a bias spring moving the winder to the disengaged position whenever the operator is not operated by the user and moving the winder to the engaged position only when operated by the user, and 
 a cover fitting over the winder and line spool and providing a front opening centered about the second axis for receiving the fishing line along the second axis; 
 wherein the line spool is in front of the crank mechanism along the second axis and the winder is in front of the line spool along the second axis and the opening in the cover is in front of the winder; 
 wherein the winder provides a circular fishing line deflector providing a radially symmetric outer surface guiding the fishing line from the opening around the circular fishing line deflector to the line spool; 
 wherein the circular fishing line deflector is attached to the drive shaft via a sliding key allowing translational movement without rotational movement of the circular fishing line deflector with respect to the drive shaft and wherein the operator communicates via a connecting bar through a hollow bore in the drive shaft to a compression cap pressing the circular fishing line deflector toward the line spool. 
 
     
     
       2. The fishing line reel of  claim 1  wherein the winder provides a fishing line deflector positioned coaxially about the drive shaft and presents a peripheral surface allowing the line to freely slide circumferentially about the second axis along the fishing line deflector when the winder is in the disengaged position. 
     
     
       3. The fishing line reel of  claim 1  further including at least one rolling element thrust bearing separating the fishing line deflector from stationary structure. 
     
     
       4. The fishing line reel of  claim 1  further including a mounting bracket supporting a bow displaced from the housing along the first axis. 
     
     
       5. The fishing line reel of  claim 4  wherein the operator is a lever extending from the housing along a third axis substantially perpendicular to the first and second axes and the crank mechanism includes a right angle drive so that an axis of rotation of the crank mechanism by the user is perpendicular to the second axis and perpendicular to an extent of the lever. 
     
     
       6. The fishing line reel of  claim 1  further including a mounting bracket adapted to attach to the housing substantially abutting a side of a bow riser. 
     
     
       7. The fishing line reel of  claim 1  wherein the line spool includes a hole extending through a hub of the line spool for tying the line to the hub. 
     
     
       8. The fishing line reel of  claim 1  further including a pin movable with respect to the rotatable winder for catching the fishing line so that the fishing line winds about the line spool with rotation of the drive shaft when the pin is in an extended position extending from the winder and for freeing the fishing line so that the fishing line does not wind about the line spool with the rotation of the drive shaft when the pin is in a retracted position retracted into the winder. 
     
     
       9. The fishing line reel of  claim 8  wherein the pin moves from the retracted position to the extended position when the winder moves from the disengaged position to the engaged position. 
     
     
       10. The fishing line reel of  claim 1  wherein the line spool is rotatable about the drive shaft independent of the fishing line deflector. 
     
     
       11. The fishing line reel of  claim 1  wherein the operator locks rotation of the line spool with respect to the housing with movement of the operator to an actuated position. 
     
     
       12. The fishing line reel of  claim 11  further comprising a dog clutch positioned between the line spool and the housing locking rotation of the line spool with respect to the housing. 
     
     
       13. The fishing line reel of  claim 1  further comprising a braking system applying increasing frictional restraint to rotation of the line spool with respect to the housing with user actuation of the braking system wherein the frictional restraint varies continuously with increased actuation of the braking system and provides substantially constant frictional restraint at a given actuation of the braking system. 
     
     
       14. A fishing line reel providing rapid line payout comprising:
 a housing supporting: 
 a crank mechanism operable by a user for rotating a crankshaft extending along a first axis and rotating a drive shaft extending along a second axis with respect to the housing substantially perpendicular to the first axis; 
 a line spool rotatable about the drive shaft 
 a winder attached to rotate with the drive shaft for catching a fishing line so that the fishing line winds about the line spool with rotation of the drive shaft when the winder is engaged and for freeing the fishing line so that the fishing line does not wind about the line spool with the rotation of the drive shaft when the winder is disengaged; 
 an operator operable by the user to move the winder between the engaged and disengaged positions; 
 a bias spring moving the winder to the disengaged position whenever the operator is not operated by the user and moving the winder to the engaged position only when operated by the user; and 
 a cover fitting over the winder and line spool and providing a front opening centered about the second axis for receiving the fishing line along the second axis 
 wherein the line spool is in front of the crank mechanism along the second axis and the winder is in front of the line spool along the second axis and the opening in the cover is in front of the winder 
 wherein the winder provides a circular fishing line deflector providing a radially symmetric outer surface guiding fishing line from the opening around the circular fishing line deflector to the line spool 
 wherein the line spool provides a central hub about which the line is wound having a greater diameter toward the opening and a lesser diameter away from the opening. 
 
     
     
       15. A fishing line reel providing rapid line payout comprising:
 a housing supporting: 
 a crank mechanism operable by a user for rotating a crankshaft extending along a first axis and rotating a drive shaft extending along a second axis with respect to the housing substantially perpendicular to the first axis; 
 a line spool rotatable about the drive shaft; 
 a winder attached to rotate with the drive shaft for catching a fishing line so that the fishing line winds about the line spool with rotation of the drive shaft when the winder is engaged and for freeing the fishing line so that the fishing line does not wind about the line spool with the rotation of the drive shaft when the winder is disengaged; 
 an operator operable by the user to move the winder between the engaged and disengaged positions and to apply increasing frictional restraint to rotation of the line spool with respect to the housing with user operation of the operator increasing movement of the operator from a released position to an actuated position; and 
 a dog clutch positioned between the line spool and the housing creating interference restraint to rotation of the line spool with respect to the housing with movement of the operator toward the actuated position after an increasing frictional restraint by the friction clutch. 
 
     
     
       16. The fishing line reel of  claim 15  wherein the frictional restraint varies smoothly with continuous movement of the operator from the released position to the actuated position and provides substantially constant frictional restraint at each operator position. 
     
     
       17. The fishing line reel of  claim 16  wherein the frictional restraint includes a wave washer. 
     
     
       18. The fishing line reel of  claim 15  wherein the dog clutch provides a set of interengaging teeth between the housing and the line spool.